What to Do About the Growing Number of “Bleeding Deacons” in AA?
Question by titou: What to do about the growing number of “Bleeding Deacons” in AA?
Oh, I know. “Take what you like and leave the rest.”
But honestly, what about the newcomer who gets subjected to this stuff that gets touted as AA principle? “Step Series” are the norm here in South Florida these days, replacing Step Meetings. In these, you get one Worthy (chosen by a committee of Worthies, of course) who “shares” for 13 consecutive weeks at the same meeting. Most of them speak for the entire hour, which reminds me of an alcoholic “sharing” at an open bar. Never mind that conference-approved literature (‘A Member’s Eye View of AA’ actually says “The newcomer is greatly relieved that he does not have to submit to any lectures”. The opening format often says, “If you have had a drink or drug, please do not share…”. Sounds reasonable. But what about ‘Bill’s Story’ that ends with “…every AA meeting is a duplicate of that first meeting at the kitchen table.” Bill was drinking throughout that meeting with Ebby.
Shares from the floor are filled with ‘AA Tradition’ such as “Stay out of relationships for the first year”, or derogatory stuff like, “Your best thinking got you here”. Today (and what prompts this), we had a guy who has 25 years expand on these by saying, “I have learned to make it so that I keep any temptation out of my bed.” Great. You’re chaste. But since when is that shopped by an oldtimer as being a goal to attain? This followed on his smooth talk last time when he gave us a ten-minute dissertation on his “acceptance” that as a Jehovah’s Witness he had followed the answer that came from prayer and so”in spite of temptation”, benignly allowing his wife to die rather than having a blood transfusion and thus “defiling the human body”.
Besides seeing the newcomers indoctrinated or repulsed as the case may be, I myself am increasingly wary when i walk into the door of any AA meeting — at least those which do not take place in a church. Ones in churches seem to be relatively free of this sort of twisted stuff — so I’ll offer that as what might be a useful suggestion to those who have less than my own 13 years.
Your thoughts? And please. Keep it encouraging if you can. I’m just about at that place talked about in the 1st Tradition where “the alcoholic goes back into his cave, thinking how great AA might have been”.
I know. “Don’t Think”. Next…
Great and encouraging post, raysny. I’ve been to World Service to try and signal the disease within AA. It was like that episode of Star Trek: the one with the all-powerful creatures with the big brain-heads and silk robes doing little or nothing but “observing”, if that.
Not their business? How about your last stupendous sentence?
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